IRC Stories
by ArcaJeth
Summary: Introspective fics written in realtime on IRC
1. IRC Story 1

Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo and all characters herein are the property of AIC and Pioneer LDC,   
Inc. I do not own them and only use them in homage to the series I love so much.  
  
Author's note: This story sort of wrote itself one day. I was on IRC in the #TenchiFF   
chatroom and feeling quite depressed so I started writing of the top of my head. Or   
freestyling as I like to call it. This comes from the actual chat logs with a little   
editing, of course. BTW: I encourage all aspiring Tenchi Fan fic writers to visit the   
channel. It's on DALnet and very worth your time.  
  
Warning! Ad-lib commencing in 5...4...3...2...  
  
As I look back on that time, I see how truly happy my life had been.  
Back at the house, everyone I'd loved was there and I can't remember a sad day when I   
was there. Sometimes I'd find myself smiling and laughing for no reason at all.  
  
But when I remember all of the good times, I must recall the one terrible moment  
The moment I realized I had to leave.  
  
It wasn't really her fault; it was mine, I guess  
  
I should have known it could never work between us. We were of two different worlds;   
she, being a Princess.   
  
I had created a whole fantasy world where we could be together.  
  
Wait, that's not right.  
Let me start from the beginning.  
  
That night, is so clear to me. The stars were so bright they were seared into my memory.  
It was a hot summer night, so the windows of the house were open to the breeze.  
I was sitting by my window, staring out at the lake, when she walked into view.  
She'd abandoned her usual heavy robes for a light kimono with a pink floral pattern.  
  
I'd noticed her before of course. In the baths, at the breakfast table, doing her chores;   
but that night, with the light of the lanterns dancing off the waters and the tiny   
lightnings of the fireflies illuminating her features she seamed strangely ethereal.  
  
I briefly wondered what she could be doing out at this hour when...yes. She was searching   
the heavens. Her gaze fixed on a section of sky that I recognized as the general direction   
of Jurai. Jurai's star, however, was much too far to view from Earth. The look on her face   
was of deep longing. It was so intense it seemed to cause her physical pain.  
  
In that moment something phenomenal happened.  
In that moment she dropped the mask of calm dignity she so often wore.  
She laid aside the mantle of Royalty that weighed so heavily upon her shoulders.  
In that moment she allowed her true self to emerge.  
In that moment, Aeka Jurai wept.....  
  
It wasn't easy to see her like that; so vulnerable.  
I wanted to turn away, *needed* to, but I couldn't.  
There was something about the way she wept. It was so bitter. So primal....So....*real.*  
It was such a private moment, and yet, I felt she was sharing herself with me.   
  
Her very soul.  
  
To gain even a fleeting glance at that part of her intrigued me to no end.  
After what seemed like ages, she regained her composure and hugged her arms about herself.  
It appeared she was prepared to leave when she suddenly turned back toward the lake.  
The wind had died down and the various animals had ceased their noisy progress.  
The entire area remained silent as if awaiting some cue or signal.  
  
And that is when she opened her mouth and began to sing.  
It was an ancient melody. A lullaby sung by mothers to their daughters since the infancy   
of the Empire. With her sweet voice, Aeka began slowly, as if unsure of herself, but gained  
strength as she went on. Into the second stanza, the forest slowly came back to life, as   
the cicadas chirped, and frogs trilled, and other animals chimed in.  
Fireflies began to circle her almost in time with the tempo. The wind began to pick up   
fluttering her kimono around her legs and causing the trees to gently sway.  
  
All of a sudden, I could see the rainbow lights of Funaho dazzle the sky as she leant her   
voice to the natural orchestra. All the while Aeka sang. Her voice strong and clear rising   
above the tumult. With her hair flying free in the air she looked almost....no....she WAS   
angelic. At least to me...  
  
With a suddenness that caused my heart to stop the song ended. It ended as it had begun,   
soft and timid.  
  
The wind gusted, rippling the lake and ruffling the trees' leaves. It sounded like hearty   
applause. Aeka bowed to the imagined audience and turned to leave.  
  
It was that moment that she first noticed me.   
  
Our eyes met and I could see it.  
That thing. The part of her I longed to touch.  
In that moment I knew...  
I knew her so intimately, and I knew that she saw me in the same light  
Two people searching for so long for that intangible feeling.   
  
Then...she smiled.  
And in her sad smile I knew...  
I knew that I was irrevocably in love.  
I knew that no matter how long I searched I'd never find a soul like hers.  
I also knew...that this love couldn't go anywhere.  
Because her heart belonged to another.  
In her I saw so many possibilities that would never be realized.  
So many warm embraces.  
So many nights sitting and talking about nothing and everything.  
  
Though in that moment I knew she'd never intentionally hurt me, I also knew that I   
couldn't stay.  
It just wouldn't work.  
  
Though we would never speak of this out loud there would always be that question of what   
could have been.  
So I smiled back, I left the window, and I packed my bags.  
  
There wasn't much since I kept most of my things aboard my ship.   
As I walked down the stairs for the last time memories came flooding back. Of times,   
opportunities I had to tell her how I felt.   
  
But no....  
I knew I couldn't do that. As I left the house she met me at the door. The private smile   
now gone, she wore a guarded look. The two of us stood like that for a time as yet unknown.  
  
I don't know what was going through her mind, but I swear I saw her eyes fill with unshed   
tears...As were mine.  
  
Before we could ruin the moment with half-hearted words and gestures, I ran out the door.  
I boarded my shuttle and without a backwards glance, I ordered a take-off.  
I set the auto pilot to take me out because my vision was blurred with hot tears  
As the Earth receded in the background I wept bitterly.  
I ripped gashes in my useless damnable uniform and screamed "WHY?!" to the black void of   
space.  
  
Out of breath and out of fury I slumped to the console in defeat.  
  
"Yukinojo," I command. "Take us out."  
-END-  
It had to be said.  



	2. IRC Story 2

Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! and all characters herein are the property of AIC and Pioneer LDC,   
Inc. I do not own them and only use them to pay homage to the series I love so much.  
  
Author's Note: This is the second story I have written while in the Tenchi Fan Fiction   
Chatroom. I have decided to keep this series of short stories untitled to stay true to the   
impromptu style of writing.   
  
  
"Such is the stuff of dreams and legend."  
  
I watch her as she toils in the garden, a sheen of sweat covers her brow. Several buzzing   
insects harry her progress, however she ignores them, intent upon her purpose.  
  
Upon hearing a call, she turns her head, brushing away an arrant lock to see what the   
matter is. Alas, it is only little Sasami, who seems to always be bubbling over with   
energy.  
  
"Everyone's been asking about you," the little one says. "We're about to start lunch. Come   
on!"  
  
"Tell them I'll be there in a bit," the woman says cheerfully ruffling the girl's hair.  
  
"All right," she says, already on her way back. "But don't take too long."  
  
The woman ties her long hair into a bun and resumes her work. She meticulously lays out   
row upon row of what will eventually be thriving floral display. The repetitive motions   
allow her mind to drift. She thinks back to the circumstances and decisions that brought   
her here. And to the reasons she remains.  
  
Foremost in her mind was love. Which was funny, since for a long time she doubted it even   
existed anymore; or had existed at all. She chuckled to herself as she briefly wondered   
what the ethers would think had they caught her thinking this way.  
  
*My, aren't they an interesting bunch.*  
Sometimes funny; sometimes crazy; sometimes dangerous.  
But always real.  
Always....family.  
She thought about that...  
Family...  
Such a strange word.  
  
For the longest time she'd thought she knew what that meant. Only to find that her views   
on the subject were all wrong. In her daily life here she'd seen what true family was.  
And she wanted that. With all her being she wanted to love and be loved...  
By her friends, and this strange family.  
  
But most of all...she wanted the love of *Her*  
*She* who rebuffed her every misguided attempt to get closer.  
*She* who denied her very existence.  
*She* whose golden eyes held the very keys to her heart  
  
She longed for the day that that she could hold *her* in her arms and say all the words,   
all of the things she could to prove her love. Yet there was a problem, which threatened   
to keep this from ever happening.  
  
*She* had found another.  
One for which *her* heart beat triple time.  
One for which *She* would lay down her life without a second thought.  
  
The woman scowled briefly.  
What kind of being is this to take what is rightfully hers?  
What kind of power could this man-child possibly have to take away her beloved.  
But no...  
She could not hate him, for she saw what it was.  
She knew that he had the power of tenderness.  
Of warmth.  
Something she couldn't allow herself to show in public.  
He held the strength to reveal himself to *her.*  
When she, herself, could not.  
All she could do was tease and make cruel jokes.  
  
"When will I ever learn?" she asked no one in particular.  
  
Another might have wept at the lot fate had cast her.  
But not she.  
She'd shed her last tear long ago.  
She arose and surveyed her work.  
Neat rows of soil stared back at her, their silent order mirroring the state of her mind.  
  
"I will find a way," she says. "It's like the flowers. They take time to grow, but in the   
end they give a most beautiful reward."  
  
Walking back toward the house she could hear the muted sounds of an argument.   
She smiled to herself wondering who the victor might be, but not really caring.  
Little Sasami met her at the door wearing an apron.  
  
"Oh good! You made it," she said.   
  
Hearing the noise die down a bit at her entrance the woman continued on to the bathroom   
to freshen up. She looked into the bathroom mirror at her rather rumpled appearance and   
brushed out her unruly hair as best as she could. A ghost of her old soul crossed her   
otherwise youthful face.  
  
Upon entering the dining room she took a seat next to one of the quarrelling girls and   
smiled up at her.  
  
"What are you smiling about?" the golden-eyed girl asked rudely.   
  
The woman's smile broadened a bit.  
  
"I was just thinking how glad I am to be here," she answered.  
  
"What?"  
  
"And I'm glad you're here too"  
  
The girl glared at her a moment longer, then went back to her meal.  
  
"Yes," she thought to herself. "No matter how long it takes, I'll find a way to show you.   
I swear it."  
-END- 


End file.
